On the way to work yesterday, "Reasons To Be Cheerful" by Ian Dury & The Blockheads came on the radio. You don't know I? Oh you should! Let me introduce you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMNXogXnvE

In it he lists a load of things that make him cheerful. Anything from curing smallpox to the Marx brothers, yellow socks to saying hokey-dokey. As I wasn’t feeling especially cheerful (work meant I’d miss the last of the sunshine and I could see my grumpy face in the rear-view mirror) I thought I'd have a go making my own list.

I decided I couldn't have the obvious things like family, sex, books or food, they're too easy, and that I'd limit it to 10. So here's my list. It’s in no particular order, just as they came into my head.

Reasons to be cheerful

1.      Purple nail varnish. Other colours are fine but purple is the best. And, no, you can’t disagree with me, this is my list!

2.      No more school run.

Oh this is a beauty, guaranteed to make me happy. My kids are old enough now that I don't have to walk them to school. It's like a scene from ‘The Time Machine’, when the siren goes and the Eloi walk, trace like, to be eaten by the Morlocks. The school bell rings and the zombie-mums all head in the same direction. But I can stay home in my pjs eating toast and feeling smug. I figure I’m allowed to be smug as I did my time and it went on for years. I am not (categorically, no arguments) not taking my grandkids to school, if I ever get any. 

3.      Led Zeppelin's 'Thank you'

A beautiful track. It needs no explanation, although… I did used to dance round a field to it – when I was in my hippy phase.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfDo9AE5r8w

4.      Caleb Followill's skinny jeans (with his arse in them, obviously. It would be a criminal waste to look at them empty.)

5.      Sambuca.  Now I'm going to admit something shocking. I’ve only recently discovered the wonders of sambuca. Why did no one tell me how good it is? Why? All those years I've wasted. 

6.      Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. An obvious one.

7.      Middle aged men in long shorts and socks. I can't find a picture but I saw one as I waited at the traffic lights. Big belly, shorts that ended half way down his calf and socks with sandals. I laughed so hard I didn’t move when the lights changed and the car behind me tooted me. But it was worth it. Anything that can make me smile as hard as that has to be a good thing.

8.      This picture of 2 members of a boyband. The band is long gone but, oh, that's pretty!

9.      Cold white wine. After the sambuca I’m starting to sound like an alcoholic. I'm not but a glass, in a bubble bath while the rain lashes against the window or in the garden on a warm summer's evening or… Yeah, I like a glass or two.

10.  Cow's face, especially their eyelashes. Yes, I know it’s an odd choice but, really, doesn't this make you smile?

So what would you add? Don't think about it too long, just give me the first thing (or couple of things) that make you cheerful.